THOUGHTS OF WARMER TIMES ON A COLD NIGHT

It's another cool,rainy morning in the mountains,imagine that!!! Finished my Avon order,so when g-son got here we headed into town.Got all our errands done in record time,I guess no one is out and about in this nasty weather.Took g-son to lunch at chick-fil-a,after he ate he went to the little play area. I couldn't see him when he went all the way to the top of the tower and I kept watching for him to come down the big slide,but I could hear him jabbering something.Hubbie came in and we tried to see him,finally he came into view.He said "I can't do this" ,"I'm scared", well at this point as hubbie tried to coax him into laying down and sliding off the top platform,I was sizing up the openings for climbing the tower. A dad that was there with his 2 boys must have guessed what I was thinking,he said I've been up there,you'll fit. I was starting to pray that nobody I knew would come into eat just now and see me crawling up this thing!! One of the other boys went up to try to help g-son,we all had a good laugh when we heard g-son say "oh yeah,he's coming to save me!!". Anyway it worked he made it out without nana having to show off her athletic abilities (not),whew!!! Then he pitched a fit because we wouldn't let him go back in the tower,go figure! A lollipop dried the tears and we decided to take a road trip since this wasn't a fit day for much else. We drove to the little town south of here to do some antiquing , had a great time,didn't find but 1 little corner shelf. But must take daughter back down there,she would love it. One of hubbie's favorite places had pelts of all kinds of animals coyotes, foxes,beavers,raccoons,etc.. One of the silver fox pelts felt like silk,it was amazing,I had no idea fox fur was so soft! Anyway these were very expensive so none of these came home with us.
Speaking of furry critters this is a picture I took on my walk the other day......There is a smaller
creek that runs into the large creek that runs threw our pastures and the beavers are constantly trying to dam this little creek up.
When the water gets high in the creek it washes their dam away and it is amazing how fast they get that thing built back. It's only been a little over a week since it washed away and at this stage of their work ,they have created a pretty little waterfall. With all this rain it's going to be interesting to see how their handiwork holds up. Annie and Sadie terrorize these critters constantly,so I think they mainly stay on the other side of the creek,we hope so anyway!!!!
It is cold outside tonight temps in mid 30's and that wind is really whipping out there.It's nice to be inside and warm,looking through old photos,came across this lighthouse. This is the Oak Island lighthouse looking across the Cape Fear River from Southport,N.C. If you like bird watching, Oak Island is a place you should go,it is known for its abundant variety of feathered friends.We were there in early April the year we went and we stayed on the banks of Davis Canal which runs through a huge marsh,so we got to see plenty of wildlife. Through the years we have vacationed all up and down the N.C. coast and have visited almost all the N.C. lighthouses,the family has been to the top of Hatteras and Currituck,not me I am afraid of heights and got physically sick when I tried to go up in them. We ferried over to Ocracoke Island to it's lighthouse
and also visited Bodie Island lighthouse. I love the Outer Banks and we went there for several years,but that is at least an 8 hour dive for us so when g-son came along we chose a closer island.We still haven't visited the lighthouses located in the middle coast,hopefully that will happen in a few years. Well these were some memories of warmer times to help fend off the cold winds of tonight.
Thanking God for a safe journey today and the many blessings I have received.Bidding a soggy good bye to a wetter than normal,containing the late and only hurricane of the season,2 floods,full of construction projects,H1N1 flu dodging,praising God everyday month of November!!! Good Night.

FIRST SEASON OF ADVENT "HOPE"

Beautiful sunny morning as I looked out over our pasture on the way to church today. Had a wonderful Christmas season beginning sermon on "hope" after lighting the first Advent candle of hope. Every Sunday as I sit in my pew,funny how everyone has a special place they sit every Sunday, I thank God for my church family,I grew up with a lot of these people,my kids grew up and were Baptized with some of these young people,I look forward every week to seeing and talking with neighbors and family,to me there is a relaxed,warm feeling of Christian love that flows through the sanctuary when we all get together and I am very thankful.
Lunch was quite,daughter, #1 son's family,hubbie and I. After lunch d-in-love had a photo shoot and hubbie needed #1 son to help him,so g-son went to the park with daughter and me. He loved walking Bernie and playing on "his playground"(have no idea where that came from).We thought we were going to get rained out soon after we arrived,but after a slight sprinkle we were blessed with a beautiful rainbow,and we could actually see both ends of it!!!
We watched the sunset on the park as daughter finished her 7 mile run and then we headed home to meet mom who was just finishing grocery shopping.
We had a light supper of leftovers and daughter and I organized our angel tree Christmas gifts and she started wrapping them as I had to complete an Avon order and get it ready to send off in the morning. I'm trying hard not to get depressed listening to the weather report tonight,more rain for tomorrow means no work on my roof or anything I don't guess. I'm sure the builders hate to hear it also as they aren't getting paid when they don't work. I'm just getting anxious as I thought for sure it would all be finished before Christmas but now I'm not so sure. I want to get in the mood to put up my Christmas decorations but it's hard when I'm having to dodge boards and climb on and off the porch with no steps yet,grrrrrrr!!!
I know,I know, Lord forgive me it will happen all in your good time!!!! I have a busy day tomorrow,lots of errands and chores to do and I WILL work on my attitude.
Lord I pray for patients and understanding always, You have blessed me beyond belief and I need to relax and enjoy my wonderful full life. Good Night.

OLD TIMEY CHRISTMAS AT MARKET TODAY

Are you in this picture??? Wouldn't surprise me!! What a busy day at market today.
Unfortunately for some who came expecting a free carriage ride, the man who we hire to do the rides fell ill yesterday and couldn't come. I know there were a lot of disappointed kids. There was still plenty of free refreshment and good old southern hospitality to go around. I even talked daughter into a Christmas apron for the occasion.....As for me I always have fun in my santa's helper hat and dress.A man came through and made my day,he asked if I slept with a smile on my face,he said he came in quite often and had never seen me without a smile! Now there surely are times when I'm not smiling,but I'm glad I project the smiling me!!! Had a great day,daughter sold completely out of her things and I only had a couple cakes left,sold quite a few crafts also. Thank you Lord,giving you all the credit!
Left market,daughter went home and I went to check out the Habitat resale store right down the street.They were having 50% off everything in the store. Yeah,I found a dining room set for the new sun porch and a side table to match it. Called hubbie to bring the truck,the workers there were so nice helping load and wrap the glass sections so they wouldn't break. It is a wooden frame with smoked glass and 6 of the most comfortable rolling/rocking chairs I have ever sat in.When I get it set up there will be pictures but for now it is covered with a tarp in the back of hubbie's big truck in the shed. Successful day all around, funny how what you start out thinking you want is usually not what you wind up with,at least that's how it goes for me. I'm very happy with this purchase! It was getting dark by the time I got home after stopping for supplies at Aldi and Walmart.
Had what else but turkey salad sandwiches for supper and relaxed on a thankful Saturday night. Looking forward to church tomorrow as always,we will light the candle to start the Advent season,I love this time of year in church.To God be all the glory!!!! Good Night.

IT'S A "GOD THING" HOW BERNIE CAME TO LIVE WITH US!!

WHEW!!!! The wind blew really hard last night and is still blowing this morning.#2 son has trees down at his house,luckily they blew over away from his house! We've got some limbs down but no other damage,don't guess we'll see the roofers today. Went into town to get cattle feed this morning and picked up a rocker/recliner for the living room on sale. Not a lot of people out where we went today,maybe everyone's already got their bargains and went home.I need to ice caramel cakes for a large order I have tomorrow this afternoon. Hubbie is rerouting our direct tv line and getting a trap set for a critter that has gotten into his shop where he keeps his dogfood,could be a raccoon,opossum,or one of the barn cats.This has been a pretty uneventful day so I'll introduce my last 4-legged kid...Meet BERNIE,I have no idea where this name came from as he had it when he came to live with us. Bernie is a Havanese breed,this type dog is used in the circus because they are quick learners and are eager to please,they are also very athletic and can run very fast. Bernie's story is like several dogs we've had in the past, daughter was driving home from work one day and saw Bernie running down a busy highway.She stopped and as soon as she opened her car door,he jumped in,she brought him home.He was very skinny,shaggy and very hungry. We knew he was a special little dog quickly as we could tell he was very smart. We ran a "found" ad in the local newspaper to no avail but after about a week daughter saw a sign posted on the road where she found him, advertising for a lost dog named Bernie with a discription. She called the number and talked to the owner,finding out he had ran away because her daughter had just moved in with her and brought her Great Dane who was mean to Bernie.This wasn't the first time Bernie had ran away.She started asking my daughter how he was doing at our house and when she found out how Dolly and Bernie had became such quick friends and how happy Bernie seemed,she told my daughter she thought this must be a God thing! For Bernie to find a family with another little dog and that loved him already must have been why he kept running away because he was no longer happy at her house. So she met with daughter and gave her all his things and Bernie became our little lover.He is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever seen,he just wants to be loved and will do anything you ask him to do.He is very sensitive and hates to be fused at. He loves to ride and if it has wheels and moves,he's in it!!!Bernie always keeps a watchful eye and ear out for any thing that might be coming our way.He has such sensitive hearing,we live quite a ways off the road,but when a vehicle turns onto our drive Bernie barks long before human ears can hear anything.
This is the last of my 4-legged kids,I love all of them and just hope I'm the kind of person they think I am!!!
It's getting late,tomorrow is old timey Christmas day at market,oh goody,that means I get to dress up in my old timey day attire again!!!! Love it!!!!! Did you like to play dress up when you were a kid?,I sure did and still do!!
Glorious God given day today,a nice quite day after Thanksgiving. Good Night.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!!!!!

Up at 7 this morning to start the turkey,went back to bed but couldn't go back to sleep,finally when it was time to get up and start cooking everything else I got sleepy again,oh well.
Lunch was ready about 1:00, daughter, #2 son, fa-in-law,hubbie and I made up the thankful crew. Everything was so good even if I do brag on my own cooking !!!!! After relaxing for a while daughter and I decided to finish our shopping for our angel tree kids and maybe pick up some Thanksgiving Day bargains and beat the crowds. To my amazement I did find 1 of the very things I said I would like to have but wouldn't get out and fight the crowds for,it was the same price today as tomorrow morning,only difference,tomorrow morning you get a $10 mail-in rebate. I will tell you one thing those are 2 lucky little 5 year old kids whose names we got,they will surely have a great,great Christmas toys,clothes,books,blankets even a coat in the little girls favorite color. I love shopping for a worthy cause!!! We'll get it all together later as daughter has got some baking to do tonight before she goes to her dog sitting job. It really feels like the holidays outside tonight,temps are dropping into the low 30's by bed time and wind is blowing 30mph and more,brrrrrrrrr.Haven't seen any snow flakes just a few rain drops. We all had leftovers for supper and I curled up on the couch with the 4-legged kids,watched a little TV before going to work at church,yes we will work on Thanksgiving,we always do,helps work off all that extra food we ate today!!!!!
Hubbie just came in the door with an arm load of firewood,a sign of the season for sure.We have 2 woodstoves 1 upstairs, 1 downstairs ,we can build a fire in the downstairs' and leave the door open,it will heat the whole house. The one upstairs really makes it too hot unless it is 20 or lower.Oh and just so you'll know we do have a heat pump!Oh my, I just looked at my wedding ring and the diamond chip I talked about yesterday is gone!! Hubbie says time to get a new one,he says I can have 1 every 30 years! It will be our 30 year anniversary in December!
What a fitting way to end this day of thankfulness,in church,although we were working it was a fitting place to be. I feel such peace and and appreciation every time I am there.I noticed the feeling years ago when I first took this job and it has never changed no matter how many times I go in there. I end this day with a very thankful heart,and reinforced love for Jesus Christ. Good Night.

MARE TAILS ON THE HORIZON!! SNOW????

While photographing my new almost finished metal roof,I noticed these mare tail clouds on the horizon. I guess they are in advance of a cold front moving in here tomorrow maybe bringing some snow to some parts of these here mountains!! Any time my daddy saw mare tales in wintertime he would say snow's coming in 24 hours.
Very happy with the roof ,the color is perfect for matching my house color.They got it all on except the new addition and finishing around the chimney.
This has been a housework kind-a-day I have been cleaning cabinets and shelves in the kitchen/dining room along with 4 loads of laundry. Daughter took some old jewelery that belonged to her grandmother to have it appraised today,there are 2 granddaughters and they are going to divide their grandmothers jewelery. I was surprised at the value,her wedding set,high school ring and other mostly costume jewelery was worthless except melted down for the gold and then only $130. I kind of figured the diamond in the wedding set might have a value. Although she might have done the same thing I did,as years ago while working outside I lost the diamond out of my wedding ring and couldn't afford to put the same size back in it,so I cut the size of the diamond down and put it in a setting that makes it look the same as before. Now I've lost the smaller diamond out of the band and just haven't had time to replace it at all.While I walked this afternoon the air already has a definite nip in it,I like cold weather for the holidays. I went ahead and baked my layers tonight since tomorrow night I will be working at church. Daughter has dibs on the kitchen tomorrow night since she starts a dog sitting job after that for a few days. D-in-love called at 10:30, they were leaving Knoxville heading north with about 1 more hour to drive to her grandparents house,God be with them as they travel. I am so thankful for my relationship with my Heavenly Father,as He guides me through each and every day as I strive to do His will in everything I do. Thankfulness has always came easy for me,maybe its because I'm a simple person with simple needs. I know God will provide!! Good Night and HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

MEET DOLLY THE LITTLE PRINCESS

Greeted by a foggy morning as I drove to market.Busy day for me filling everyone's Thanksgiving dessert orders. Heard today that 1 of the other bakers in the market had quit because of health issues,Bless her,she was a nice lady and made good pies. Ran a couple of errands after market,delivered 5 Avon orders and picked up a few supplies before heading home. I was greeted back home with a black tar paper roof,the builders had taken all the shingles off and repaired several bad spots in the roof and covered it with black paper,the metal is suppose to come tomorrow.He said our roof was in really bad shape even in places where we didn't know it was leaking.At least all the tarps are off the roof now for the first time in 2 months!!!
Daughter came in after I got everything unloaded,she had went to buy things to fix her Samaritans Purse Christmas Child boxes. We all had grilled chicken breast and steamed veggies for supper. D-in-love came by to pick up daughter for a young ladies Bible study class tonight and they took all our boxes to church. Now we are concentrating on our 2 names from the elementary school daughter works at.The teachers submit names of students that are needy and won't get Christmas presents,then you choose form them,we got 2 5-year olds,1 girl,1 boy. I picked up a beautiful doll today for the little girl.I love giving at Christmas,I love to imagine the joy on these little faces as they open these boxes to see what's inside. I would never be a rich person,because I'd give it all away.Little DOLLY,the smallest of our 4-legged kids,she weighs less than 5 lbs and is now 4 years old. My shadow everywhere I go,she loves to snuggle under the covers and is so attached to just me it is funny. She won't go out at night unless I go with her,she won't go with hubbie.
Daughter wanted a dog when she was in college,so she bought Dolly as a 6 week old puppy.When she brought her home I thought she wouldn't make it,she was so small and frail. Daughter has an underdog helping personality so she choose Dolly because she was the runt of the litter and she felt sorry for her. She kept her with her until she moved into an apartment off campus and couldn't keep her. So I trained Dolly and spent a lot of time with her,she became very attached and I gave daughter her money back and Dolly was then my baby. I had Poodles when I was single so I knew they were pretty much a 1 person dog,so I wasn't surprised at how attached she became. She loves to chase balls and will keep doing it until she drops.I have to watch that she doesn't get over heated as she has had several seizures and overheating can cause them. I was so afraid when Bernie came to live with us (which is another days story) she would never accept him and although they are jealous of each other they love each other like brother and sister.
Dolly has 1 favorite toy,which she has had since she was young,this jimminy cricket doll.I have sewed the seams on this thing multiple times and tried to trade her other dolls but she wants this old thing,at least it's washable! Dolly is like a child to me and she returns my love double. She brings to mind that old saying "I hope I'm the kind of person my dog thinks I am!" Sweet Dolly the little princess loves her pink fury bed even when it's shared. She used to get up on our bed when I left and lay in the spot I slept in until we got a new higher bed that she can no longer jump up on,so now she stays in this bed beside our bed all the time I'm not home.
I have stayed mixed up with what day it is all day,but it's been nice tonight not to have cakes to bake or ice or church to clean. I have just been lazy but keep looking around at all the cleaning I need to do tomorrow!! But that's another day,ha ha!! I was going furniture shopping but changed my mind and decided to wait till Friday,I'm afraid some of the stores might be closed tomorrow and I'm going to the next county and want everything to be open.
I'm so sick of all the "black Friday ads" hoopla and think its so funny that the media has got on the kick to expose them for only having 2 or 3 of the advertised items. Well duh, if you're just figuring that ploy out you don't shop very much!!!!!!!!! As for me I can wait,things will be cheaper after Christmas than they are on the so called black Friday and they might even be cheaper before then. Although I sympathize with young families,because I remember getting up in the wee hours and standing in line when my kids choose something for Christmas that would appear in a black Friday ad. I need (want) a laptop but am so wary of all the false advertising I would be afraid to buy one of the advertised specials now anyway.
Early to bed,early to rise for me tonight. Thank God for all the blessings of today. Good Night.

"OLD MAN" WILLIE LOYAL TO THE END!!

Another cloudy,cool day here in the mountains. Left early to make my Avon deliveries and do a little shopping for my Samaritan's Purse Christmas Child boxes.I have been slack this year,in years past I put together a box every month, but for some reason I haven't done it this year.
This year has been full of ups and downs and this is not the only thing that slipped my mind believe me!! Anyway I'm making up for lost time today. I also found a new rug for my living room but decided not to put it down until after Christmas,as I have a Christmas one to put down and I'll start decorating this week end.As I came up the drive I looked over at our pond and there was a flock of mallards sitting on the water,I took some pics,however as I discovered later pictures don't turn out to well without that little card in your camera!!!
D-in-love brought g-son here and helped me carry everything inside. We didn't get off to a good start today as mom had taken him and got him a grilled cheese and a cup of apple juice on their way here,we set it up for him on a table in the living room so he could watch TV while he ate.He wanted to watch a DVD,so I was trying to get the sound on the DVD when I heard him say "oops",I turned around to see a river of apple juice running off the little table into the floor. I said "do not get out of that chair"(remembering the time he had peed in the floor and danced in it), and ran for a towel and then my swiffer mop to clean up the sticky mess. All the while he was curled up in the chair saying "I've got to be happy again,Nena you've got to be happy",I looked at him from my knees and said "do I look like I'm not happy, wonder why",to which he replied "I love you Nena,please be happy again" and melted all my mad right away,it's funny how an innocent child knows exactly what needs to be said sometimes. I had to have a long hug and kiss before he left because I won't see him again until after Thanksgiving day as they are going out of town for Thanksgiving day.Willie,known affectionately as the "old man" is about 14 years old,he is very arthritic and doesn't go far from his bed anymore but he is still with us and will be until he passes. Willie was the 2nd Australian Shepperd we ever had,the first which was also a blue merle male got hit by a car and later died from his injuries. We soon after saw an ad wanting to give Willie away,he was 2 years old and they didn't want him because he wouldn't stop jumping up on them. We brought him home and in about a week I had him trained to stop his jumping.
This is a trait of this type dog as my Annie does it now and I'm working on getting her to stop but it is going to take longer with her as she is only a little over 1 year old. Willie has been a faithful guard dog for the farm and has been known to nip strangers. Once the UPS driver reached up to hand me a package ,I guess Willie thought he was reaching for me ,so he nipped him right in the backside. As he grew older we had to put out signs and watch him closely. But on the flip side we didn't have to worry about strangers messing around the farm.Willie's eyes have gotten a lot of attention,they are icy blue and beautiful. Several people have mistakenly thought he was blind,1 fellow paid for his thoughts as he tried to push Willie out of his way. Although Willie didn't like strangers he has always been drawn to g-son as if he thought he needed to protect him by staying close by his side.Even when he looked like a tiger!
Sadly we all know Willie's days are number and our goal is just to make him as comfortable as possible while he is still with us and make sure he doesn't suffer when the end comes. Living on a farm thankfully gets you accustomed to animal life and death,but it still hurts,especially when something has been a part of our family as long as Willie has. So for now Old Man Willie will take up his guard dog position and bark so the younger dogs can go investigate as he watches.
Daughter came in from work and went right to work on her baking,she has orders for tomorrow as well as I do. She and hubbie helped me box and load some of our orders in my van tonight,I don't know how I'll fit it all in there. I iced caramel,chocolate and coconut cakes until midnight tonight. I have more than 20 orders for tomorrow so that doesn't leave a lot of selection. Tuesday before Thanksgiving is always a crazy,busy day at market. Wish I had some help but everyone is working so maybe everyone will be patient.
Thank you Lord for a wonderful day and be with #1 son's family as they travel tomorrow.Good Night.

When I arrived at church on this rainy,cool morning for some reason I looked up at the steeple on our church and thought of how it stood out against the cloudy sky. It made me think of how we as lovers of the Lord need to look against the dark sinful world we live in.When I took this photo out of my van window,through the rain I thought of how strong and true this old cross has stood through all kinds of weather. The sermon today was on thankfulness and how we should be thankful everyday for the blessings we have in this country.We don't think twice about how lucky we are,pastor started out the sermon by asking when we got up this morning and turned the shower on we expected water to come out,as we got in our cars,we expected them to start,when we go to Ingles or Walmart we expect them to have groceries,and on and on he went to make his point as to how blessed we are. As for me I know how blessed I am and I thank God everyday for it,because I can remember when we didn't have running water in our house,I can remember an outhouse with 2 holes,1 big and 1 small for us kids that was about 50 yards from the back door.I can remember eating in wintertime, only what was preserved during the summer and fall,there wasn't a grocery store on every corner. When I was even a teenager with a drivers license I remember there was only 1 store on the other side of town that opened on Sunday. There was no traffic after everyone got home from church on Sunday. It was a hard life but worth every minute of toil it took to make a living,I have tried to pass down that work ethic to my kids even though they have never known the hardships of my childhood.And I must brag I have 3 hard working kids at this point that I am very proud of and thankful for. We had hamburgers for lunch today from some of the fresh meat those young men are selling at market and it was very good. Only 4 of us at lunch today,daughter,#2 son, hubbie and me. #1 son's family are at another out of town get together of d-in-love's family.Fa-in-law has started eating at the retirement home so no point in dragging him out in this cold rain.
For me this day has been a thankful day of reflection. This is me with my dad probably about 1955 when I was about 1 year old,story was I cried and would not have my picture made until he sat down with me.I'm glad to have this early picture of him as there aren't many.
On the left is a picture of mom and dad in 1979 dressed to go to my youngest brothers high school graduation. My dad never put on a tie so this must have been the appropriate attire for attending high school graduations back then!
I got married on Dec.21,1979,had #1 son in Oct.1981, #2 son in March 1983,and determined to have a daughter she thankfully was born in March 1985. Hubbie and I both have devoted our lives to these three and they have not disappointed us.When daughter was 2 years old hubbie changed jobs and got better insurance so I was able to quit my job and raise our family,as paying a babysitter to keep 3 children was taking almost everything I was making as a drafting engineer in a diamond tool making shop. I remember how hard it was adjusting to staying at home,I had worked full time since I was 15 years old,but once I adjusted I was very happy being a full time domestic engineer!!!! I found plenty to do volunteering at school and taking care of our little farm. Several years later hubbie quit his job and we farmed full time until it became college time for the kids,then he went back to work full time. Our family became very close in those years we were all working together on the farm,all 3 of the kids learned to drive the tractors and work in the hay fields.It was a rewarding experience for all of us and I thank God for allowing us to find a way to do it.In Dec.2005 another chapter in our lives began as #1 son married and we took on the roles of in-laws,hopefully we have been successful in that role as well,(you'd have to ask d-in-love!!!).In Oct.2006 on #1 son's birthday God saw fit to bless us yet again with g-son,thus beginning the grandparent era of our lives.And when g-son gets older he will have to tell you how we are at this. I have so much to be thankful for it is unbelievable to me at times.My life is so complete and I know it is all the Lords doing and you can be sure a day never goes by without my humble prayers that are lifted up to Him.
The rain is still coming down outside and we are hoping all the plastic and tarps do their jobs yet again,I'll sure e glad when we get our new roof on!! Talked to the builder,not going to take a chance taking roof off tomorrow,going to do it Tuesday,metal will be here Wednesday anyway.
Good Night.

EARLY THANKSGIVING GET-TOGETHER

Market was not very busy on this Saturday before Thanksgiving, unlike it usually would be. All in all, daughter and I did fairly well, g-son came with daughter this morning and he was a doll all morning.He got Pawpaw to walk up to the library with him to see what was going on there,but didn't find anything there more exciting than walking on the parking place barriers. D-in-love brought everyone lunch when she finished her photo shoot,even#1 son came through when he finished his hunting trip this morning. Everyone left after lunch but daughter and me. We finished up a slow day and she left to go run and I had an Avon delivery and my Aldi trip for supplies.I got home around 3:30 ,she came in shortly afterwards and had went back to the used furniture place we were at last week and bought an old trunk she saw there.
I came in and made deviled eggs and candied sweet potatoes for the dinner tonight. I sat down to rest while the potatoes cooked and form the couch in my living room I watched the sunset with all it's many colored splender and thanked the Lord for such a wonderful pleasure,just thinking how lucky I am to have this kind of view out my window! We are meeting at sis-in-law's niece's restaurant to eat. We left and went by Ingles to pick up drinks and some things I needed for next week's baking.There was plenty of food and good fellowship with family and extended family tonight.G-son always has a ball,these guys are the 4 amigos when they get together,look out,ages 4 1/2, 3,
2 1/2 and almost 2,it's fun to watch them change and grow up. We all split up when we left and g-son and I drove daughter's jeep home,hubbie took fa-in-law home,everyone else went to a housewarming for a friend of theirs from church. One Thanksgiving get together down!!!!
When our kids were small I dreaded the holidays because there was so many people who expected us at their gatherings. My mother,hubbies parents,and hubbies grandmother all had Thanksgiving meals and expected us there. I remember how hectic it was but I also remember how much pride and care these older ladies put into their cooking and I remember the sparkle in their eyes,watching everyone enjoying what they had took hours to prepare.
Now all these ladies are gone and I find myself in their shoes. I have promised my children to try to do whatever it takes to make things easier on them and not so hectic,that's why we had a gathering the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I have to admit though it made me feel good tonight when 2 of my kids said we are having Thanksgiving dinner at your house on Thursday aren't we? Hubbie and I said years ago when marriages and other things started to change with the kids that we would cook Thanksgiving dinner even if it were just he and I,for me it's just tradition. I can remember Thanksgivings when I was a child,we were a poor farming family and this meal was such a treat for my brothers and I because we didn't have food like this any other day. My mother would start the day before Thanksgiving and wouldn't finish her cooking until right before lunch was served. I still make one of her sweet potato casseroles and a special dessert that she only made on this day. I am thankful on this day as well as all other days for the many blessings the Lord has sent my way.See you in church tomorrow. Good Night.

MEET SADIE

Introducing Sadie, I have had Sadie for about 6 years,she was a young 1st time mother when I first met her. I was looking for a red merle Aussie when I answered an ad in our local paper for a free Australian Sheperd. The lady I called rescued Australian Sheperds from our local pound and she had found Sadie there with a litter of puppies,she took them all home and found homes for all the pups and was going to keep Sadie but found that being an inside dog was not in Sadie's nature. When I asked the color of the dog,she said she's a tri-color,I said I'm not interested,I'm looing for a red merle, for some reason she insisted on bringing Sadie to Market so I could look at her. As I said last night "the eyes have it",although Sadie doesn't have that wary look,in fact her eyes actually seem to smile on their own. When I looked into her smiling eyes I was hooked,so home with me she came,hubbie was looking at me as if to say "what did you say you were looking for?". Sadie has turned into the smartest dog I have ever had,she follows me everywhere and I only have to give her a command once and it's done.I thought she was mixed with border collie until I went to the Australian Sheperd website and saw Sadie looking at me from the screen.Wow she looks just like the dog on the introductory page. Although her personality is very friendly she barks and she absolutely hates the UPS trucks that deliver packages.And when she's not rocking in her chair on the front porch, she loves hunting and chasing anything she can find in the woods and pastures that surround or house. Sadie is a joy and I'm glad that lady insisted on bringing her for me to look at that day.

Today started out busy and got worse!!! The builders worked 1/2 day ,so I couldn't get any sewing done this morning as they have their air compressor that runs their nail gun plugged into that outlet and it would over load with my commercial sewing machine plugged in. So I baked cakes all morning,g-son came and he acted like he felt better. After lunch we went to Ingles for things to make a 7 layer salad for Saturday night dinner,we saw several people we knew. They are making a larger store, and trying to get in and out of the parking lot is challenging at best,but we made it,I drove around for a few minutes to see if g-son would go to sleep but he must not need a nap today. Back home I put away groceries and discovered I forgot a key ingredient for the salad,frozen green peas,no way am I going back into that mess on a Friday afternoon. I also forgot that I have 3 coconut cakes to ice that will have to be put in the fridg overnight so I'll pick up the peas tomorrow and make the salad for our families Sunday lunch. It's amazing to me sometimes how I can have a list and still forget items on it.I think I need to get my head cleared somehow,I just haven't figured out how yet! I did get to sew some when hubbie came home and got to see how my new idea looks,she what you think,these are little girl size aprons and I personally think they are really cute....... I guess we'll see how many people agree with me tomorrow,I got 5 of these made which was all the little jeans I bought but 3,1 I still have cut out but is a bit different and didn't get it made,2 g-son had a fit wanting ,1 because it has an Elmo patch on the leg and 1 because it has a cowboy hat and rope embroidered on them. So at the 1/2 price sale at the thrift store I paid .75 a pair,put about a yard of lace around them which I buy in bulk for probably no more than .50 ,ties are made from scraps,so at $8.00 an apron I'll be well paid for my time making them. While daughter did her baking,hubbie and I went to finish cleaning the church. I iced my cakes when I got back ,boxed some orders for tomorrow and wrapped all I could.One customer came by and picked her order up. G-son gets to go to market with us tomorrow he always has a fun time out there. Going to get to bed earlier tonight,got a long day tomorrow. God is right on time always in our lives and his love is always there wherever,whatever!!!!!! Good Night.

ALL ABOUT ANNIE

Builders were here bright and early,I had the van loaded and out of their way.Pretty slow market day made me thankful for the orders I had. Ran errands,delivered 3 Avon orders,got home about 5. Daughter picked up subway for all of us for supper after she finished running at the park. She did some of her baking ,hubbie and I went to clean church.When I turned on my computer this picture popped up.This is my Annie,she is a registered Australian Shepperd ,the only dog I have actually bought in a very long time.I usually try to adopt or sometimes just take in strays.About 1 1/2 years ago I decide I wanted a red merle Aussie,I have had Aussies for years and they make very good watch dogs with their keen sense of hearing and alertness.I watched all the local shelters,but no luck. I saw an ad in the local Iwanna for 4 month old pups,they were about an hour and a half drive away.I really had wanted a grown dog so I wouldn't have to go through all the puppy bad habits. But I decided to go look at these pups,so on a very cold day last January hubbie and I made the trip to a place called Granite Falls. They had 3 pups left out of a litter of 12. As soon as we walked up to the cage 2 of them were jumping all over the fence trying to get to us and 1 was just sitting back with a wary look in her eye.She wasn't the prettiest one,but when I looked at her she looked me directly in the eyes,no one else noticed as the other 2 were making so much noise and causing such a ruckus. I think the man was very surprised when I said I want that one back there!! The connection was made and I brought her home,we also brought one of her friendlier sisters home for d-in-love.Thankfully I did as this is how I controlled Annie for a while by letting her follow the friendly sister.
Annie is now 14 months old she still has her puppy playfulness but is very intelligent and sticks to me like glue when I'm outside. I did all the training of her so she has little to do with anyone else but she loves on me every chance she gets,she has turned out to be exactly what I wanted in a guard dog.She still has that wary look in her eyes and if you drove up in my yard and was greeted by her barking and looking like she does you wouldn't get out of your car! She hasn't ever bitten anyone but she has that look that no stranger will ever trust.
When I take her to the vet they always make me hold her,he just says she's a strange one but is going to be super smart. So far so good!!
Stories on how I acquired all my other dogs to follow soon.
May God answer all your prayers tonight! Good Night.

QUITE DAY OF REFLECTION

Up till almost 2 am tracking down roof leaks. Didn't even hear the alarm this morning or turned it off in my sleep,which has happened before! #1 son came after a chair for his hunting blind and woke me up,he couldn't believe I was still in bed. The wind and rain overnight doesn't look like it damaged anything,all the tarps and plastic are still in place. Luckily I think we missed the heavy rain but it's not over yet!
Today is a dreary,cool,misting rain kind of day.I have iced all 18 caramel cakes this morning and am playing with g-son for a a while.Daughter came in from work and started baking,#1 son came after g-son and left to meet d-in-love for supper.There has been nothing going on around here today at all, it's really strange,I guess because of all the stuff that's been filling everyday for a while it seems extra quite today. I am looking forward to all this construction coming to an end,so I can get on with some projects I want to do around here and life for us can kinda get back to normal,I say kinda because it's hard to remember what normal is,it's been a long time since we haven't had some kind of work going on.
With all the rain the cabin fever of winter is coming early this year,when I get that yuck feeling I always look at summer photos..There will surely be more days with lots of pics before this winter is over.
Tonight was kind of hectic with daughter and I getting ready for market .I had to bag all my Avon orders,stamp my books, pay bills and do weekly business paperwork. I boxed 10 cakes for orders tomorrow,finished icing chocolate and coconuts, and, and, I'm so confused I don't even know what else I have to do.Sis-in-law call to get a menu together for Saturday night's Thanksgiving family supper but I told her to call back tomorrow. When I get in a whirlwind getting everything done I can't handle telephone calls from people who sound so relaxed and like they have nothing to do.It's nothing against whoever is calling it's just not a good time for me and with my mind going in all different directions I wouldn't remember talking anyway. It is midnight and I'm relaxing a few minutes before I get in bed.
I get frustrated with all I have to do sometimes,but I thank the Lord that I'm able to do all that I do and I pray for forgiveness during these times. Good Night.